Diorama Chronicles | Making 'Silver Creek' Diorama | Introduction | Boomer Diorama

[@krisblackmarr7438]

This is one of the few video content producers, that I have seen, discussing the highly advanced and intricate level of information about techniques and materials which must be observed to produce show-case models. Lot's and lot's of information presented in the video, a lot of in the form of one-liner sentences like "always start with white and tint up." The information presented can be applied to almost any modeling project. This is a "must study" video, in my opinion, if a modeler really wants to understand the 'art' of modeling and how to create high quality models. Boomer, please keep these tutorials coming as the information presented is 'priceless' and often takes decades to acquire.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you for the compliments. They confirm the plans I have for sharing this build and genre. There is lot's of content on this build. You are also correct in that it also translates well to any model project. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@lilactreehouse]

The fact that this entire scene has been built from scratch including every tree, rock and bush, is amazing. Nicely presented and good instruction..keep it coming!

[@boomerdiorama]

😁Loads of personal content in this series. 😁

[@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern]

This 12”x12” format is incredible. What a concept, put in a box with an opening to control viewing angles, and a photo backdrop. But I went down a brief rabbit hole in my mind, about recessing one or more of these in a wall with a casing around it. It’s a 3D painting! You could even do day->night lighting effects and with 5-6 lines of code in an Arduino, match time of day with light level and colors. But one could also have a little ambient audio player… see, rabbit hole? There’s a lot of opportunities for something quite incredible and original here. Love it Boomer! Thanks for sharing, as always…

[@boomerdiorama]

You make excellent observations Andy. 12" x 12" (one square foot) is an excellent space to work with. One can achieve a "vignette" from almost any situation in life if thought through, most notably within the 'Shadow Box" diorama concept. You also raise a great point about lighting. There has never been a better time for lighting (miniaturization) application, ease of use, and the Arduino you speak of - not to mention sound options as well. Furthermore, when one builds a small diorama like this, it explodes the skill level into larger space and scale as well. Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@LizZard1988]

Layering all colors in thin and transparent layers over a white basecoat is something I have never seen before. Amazing technique. The results definitely speak for themselves!

[@boomerdiorama]

It is similar in style in which they retouch photographs with an airbrush.😁

[@Vman7757]

Wow!

[@boomerdiorama]

😁

[@AlbertHayes-j4e]

I'm just getting into modeling after armchairing for a lifetime and found your vids. This one took me back to 1968 and a grade 10 art project. We had to model a building of our choice. Mine was a cottage with lake front and the boat dock. I used green cathederal glass with the ripple representing the lake surface and the rocks and sunken logs visable from above. You have inspired me to look at my efforts differently and get at it. Thanks muchly!

[@boomerdiorama]

You can do it!

[@jasonadamson3265]

This is absolutely incredible. Im an ex 1:24 scale truck builder and I absolutely love the detail you get from ho scale now seeing this 24 scale is mind blowing. The moss the dead fall roots,... I'm blown away. Thanks again boomer once again inspiration to go work on my layout. Can't wait to see more.

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad to hear you are inspired. That is the main reason for the content. Happy modeling to you!😁

[@jamesrutkowski6408]

Can’t wait to see the series. Especially the water.

[@boomerdiorama]

The water parts are cool. They actually demonstrate the difference between modeling water and pouring water.

[@hmathewsk28]

Boomer, I am looking forward to your series on Silver creek. Your level of modeling is very inspiring. Your use of “foraged” scenic materials, photographs of elements of a scene and painting to blend everything have been very useful!

[@boomerdiorama]

Awesome, thank you!

[@tas7997]

Very nice! Bob Ross of Dioramas! So realistic!

[@boomerdiorama]

Many thanks!!

[@generalsb6332]

Boomer…. Your skills are second to none. I am planning my own foray back into modeling after a 20 year absence. Thank you

[@boomerdiorama]

Sounds great! I was a way for almost a decade as well. So welcome back!

[@stevenlitkey9354]

Beautiful Boomer, Beautiful. Your trees are second to none !! That moss covered maple is OUTSTANDING 👍👍

[@boomerdiorama]

The one change I would make to that maple tree is to not sculpt over "Hard" wood dowel. Really tough to drill and carve. If you can use pine or cedar dowels things are so much easier.

[@markreed3433]

Mind blown, Boomer! I love all of your videos and video series, but this might be the most anticipated one for me. As always, thank you for sharing your ideas, talent, and methods. Your work has been quite inspirational as I work on my layout, depicting a prototype 1930s logging operation in the Smoky Mountains.

[@boomerdiorama]

I like the sounds of you Logging layout.

[@theMudFather]

Boomer I don't know what say anymore, you've blown me away again! keep up the Awesomeness, I wait with bated breath for the next instalment! Ciao, that Cheers in Italian!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks again Ralph! Cheers.

[@Castlebank_Sidings]

I'm absolutely gobsmacked. A pure artistic genius at work.

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad you like it Andy! Cheers!

[@johnhayes6414]

I must have missed the making of the trees. I've seen few of this build. Please make more. Awsome

[@boomerdiorama]

There are several more in this series to come.

[@ragg548t]

Brilliant, as ever...Thanks

[@boomerdiorama]

Wow! Thank you Robert! I appreciate the support. You are awesome! ~ Boomer.

[@mr.e1944]

I love dioramas. That is why I do train modeling. This is really amazing. I love all the moss on the trees and details. I wish I could get a job, like you had, with a museum to make these kinds of creations. Keep up the great work.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you very much! You don't need a job at museums to learn because I am going to show you how. ;-)

[@mr.e1944]

@@boomerdiorama Yes, thanks Boomer. I was just meaning I would like to make dioramas full time instead of sitting in front of a computer crunching numbers. I am learning a lot from your videos!

[@boomerdiorama]

@@mr.e1944 Sounds great. Have fun!

[@boriskucke7053]

This is an a amazing diorama!! Your trees, the river and all other parts looking so realistic. If i close my eyes and remember this vlog i think i´m standing there. Thank´s for let us be part. Have a Nice Easter and keep on modelling.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you Boris. Happy Easter to you as well. Cheers.😁

[@billkenkel9532]

Another excellent video. Just when I got the hang of make water with acrylics and golden medium, you go and throw and a different and more convincing way of doing it. Just love everything you do and look forward to seeing what’s next. Thanks for sharing.

[@boomerdiorama]

I have been using this method for decades. It was a trade secret for awhile, but hey, time to share it for the next generation to prove old traditional methodology is still superior to progressive pouring resin in my experience. 😁

[@pierrecasavant33]

This is incroyable,look so real.thank you for your knowledge for me this is the best i seen

[@boomerdiorama]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@wiliamcamarda2471]

Extraordinário o resultado , perfeito . Detalhamento impecavel. Parabens.

[@boomerdiorama]

😁

[@bobhastings6464]

What a great series Boomer. I love the fact that you are showing videos on a variety of subject, ships , nature dioramas and of course River Road. I myself find it hard to stick to just one genre and have to build a model now and again for something different. I cut my teeth on military aircraft and armour so it’s nice to do one still.. now and again. Cheers from Ontario Bob

[@boomerdiorama]

The beauty of miniature modeling is the endless subject matter. Collectively they all increase the skills overall as well.

[@jerrysmith1929]

Excellent discussion of color! Regarding epoxy rant: I had been dubious of using gloss mediium for water. Until a friend asked me to improve a water feature on his Lionel layout. The original builder merely painted the flat plywood base with blue household semi-gloss. There was no elevated shoreline which could keep an epoxy pour from spreading. I had little choice but to use gloss medium and Woodland Scenics "Water Effects". I was surprised and pleased with the results (as was my friend) and am now a believer. I would be interested to see how you might go about modeling white water. I'd like to model a kayaking scene in Colorado. The rapids are massive, but in calmer eddies and small protected areas the water is clear, slightly yellow/blue-green, and transparent enough for some river bottom to be visible. Would you use the plexiglass?

[@boomerdiorama]

It depends on the structure of the diorama and assortment of multi elevated pools, etc. Water can be complicated. But it should be if it's done well and looks convincing.

[@joelvale3887]

That's my favorite scene in a forest.

[@boomerdiorama]

It is kind of a "zooming" in on the creek feature on River Road as you go deeper, but in larger scale. Actually, 'Silver Creek' is part of the larger story of River Road. It is folded in, in terms of my overall life experiences. ;-)

[@robertlussenburg1770]

Love a good intro! Cheers

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@steverosko1732]

wow

[@boomerdiorama]

😁

[@MRR_Shadowolf]

Another amazing video!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thanks again!

[@mattkevlarlarock5469]

Your work is amazing. I love that you've taken the time to make every tree unique, like it would be in the wild. Such a great diorama.

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you so much!

[@joedelusso1415]

I'll be paying close attention to this, sounds like it's going to be a fun series to watch and perhaps a good starting point on making wire trees and and other scenic themes that can be transferred to a model railroad layout in the future, since I don't currently have a layout at this time it might be a excellent starting point to hone the skills needed to make an out standing scene..👍

[@boomerdiorama]

Yup. That is the theory behind all of this. ;-)

[@martincsanadi2969]

I ❤ it!! Awesome work as well

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@martincsanadi2969]

@@boomerdiorama u are welcome! Cheers

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

More excellent work Boomer. Also who doesn’t like a bit of JSB on a Sunday morning.

[@boomerdiorama]

😁👍

[@PeterTillman3]

Thanks

[@boomerdiorama]

Awesome Peter! Thank you for the support! Cheers ~ Boomer.

[@PeterTillman3]

@@boomerdiorama very happy to contribute Boomer.

[@Christiane069]

The natural process is the same with pine trees where the acidity of the needles block new shoots to grow to close to the parent tree and kill it. Nature is the best not humans. Beautiful diorama.

[@boomerdiorama]

😁Thank you.

[@AlexCabrita]

This reminds me of Bosumarne Falls which I visited many moons ago near Chilliwack and Silver Lake area

[@boomerdiorama]

Yes. I have hiked and fished in that area as well. Beautiful country to say the least. 😁

[@MyFingerLakesRailwayLayout]

Really cool.

[@boomerdiorama]

Than you Bill!😁

[@trainfanattic]

What a great diorama! Super, what a detail! Very inspring! I'm very interested in this series! But uhm.... could we pleeeeeease look up a bit? :) How high are the trees growing?

[@boomerdiorama]

The trees are cut off (just like the scene is) because the diorama will go into a framed "shadow box" which I elaborate in later episodes.

[@JohnPodowski]

My painting and watercolor As well with charcoal I’m been 55 years doing it so I’m all practicing but my talent is natural gift but I try to learn different techniques or aspects

[@boomerdiorama]

We need to stay in the learning curve to stay sharp. When we think we know, we begin again.😉

[@JohnPodowski]

@ so true we’re always learning boomer I appreciate a man like you with your caliper you sort of like me, and many ways, always seeking for perfection, or better ways to do things

[@johnschutt9187]

You do amazing work. I hope that some day I can paint a fraction as well as you do. Can you help me out? When you did the buildings, you started with a very dark paint and worked up to lighter tones. Here, you're starting with white. I'm confused. How do you know which to use as your base color? THANK YOU!

[@boomerdiorama]

Great question! It is usually personal preference. If I paint a model with lot's of flat surfaces, I like to base out with dark umber/black to enhance shadow in the engravings or recesses in the structure since they are minimal in ration to a large negative space. Some like to paint terrain dark (Umber/Black) first as well, but I find it sucks the life out of the color in the finer textures, which I like to "let play" since I use alot of transparent layers over top of them. Otherwise, you have to pic out all the details (with lighter) opaque color, manually, to make them pop. I also base trees out in white because they are cylindrical with no "flat" plate surface. Therefore, color is always changing (on the curved surface) as the light reflects off the ever changing texture. I find white base layers also help to enhance greys and tans better than black. 😁

[@johnschutt9187]

@@boomerdiorama Thank you for the wonderfully, detailed answer.!

[@ОльгаКарнаух-ь6х]

Красота!!!

[@boomerdiorama]

Cheers!

[@patmccarthy1624]

Amazing. Just amazing. Thanks, Boomer!

[@boomerdiorama]

My pleasure!

[@andrewpalm2103]

That's some beautiful stuff there, Boomer. Most impressive. Your comments and tips are very helpful, as usual. I loved fly fishing streams while my age and endurance allowed it. An aside: I see you are using a syphon feed airbrush. How do you like it compared to a gravity feed? Cheers from Wisconsin!

[@boomerdiorama]

This siphon feed airbrush performs just as well as my gravity feed. I will probably be buying a new gravity feed airbrush soon anyway, as this one is a stand in for now.

[@luke_atthat]

Nice video full of good tips. And history ! We would love to hear your bear encounters ! You give me confidence to use my airbrush that I used once with poor results. As you mention often, practice makes it better ! There the edge of the creek with a straitght edge... do you intent to make it more rough ?

[@boomerdiorama]

Sounds good!

[@DubaiTrains]

Question w.r.t black vs white base. During the fence build, and silo (?) build you preferred a dark undercoat to highlight and create natural shadows. Now you state that a black undercoat takes the life out of a diorama. Is this a change in boomer perspective or is there something else? Painting nature vs man made? Cheers

[@boomerdiorama]

Background base color is personal preference and particular to the subject. I like to use white background for terrain because it makes the thinner color tones I spray brighter, especially on horizontal surfaces. I usually use black background for vertical surfaces that have heavy engraving, etc.

[@DubaiTrains]

@@boomerdiorama Thanks. Sounds like I am going to do some experimenting!

[@paulc1964]

Great show love this series quick question can you use isopropyl with Vallejo air?

[@boomerdiorama]

I don't use IPA with Vallejo because it is not compatible like Tamiya is. If I shoot Vallejo through the airbrush I use Vallejo thinner.

[@toyrepaint]

can u show how u do the tree trunk ? looks good

[@boomerdiorama]

I do in subsequent episodes.

[@toyrepaint]

@@boomerdiorama thankyou cheers ❤👍

[@randysrockandrollrailroad8207]

😊

[@boomerdiorama]

Cheers Randy!

[@phixer64]

Boomer, like the rest of the comments - wow wow, absolutely insane modelling - Regards Jeff

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you!

[@JohnPodowski]

Boomer you right I know for a fact you know the color wheel I’m a artist as well we learn even from people to get a different perspective

[@boomerdiorama]

Practice makes best!

[@RB55able]

Truly amazing, Boomer!

[@boomerdiorama]

Thank you!

[@Nate-sy1vf]

Have modeled HO scale ferns? I'm modeling Pacific Northwest. Curious about your possible techniques

[@boomerdiorama]

I did model ferns but this is larger scale.

[@Nate-sy1vf]

@@boomerdiorama thanks, going to figure out some technique. Your Pacific Northwest work has been incredibly inspiring. I'm working on a Pacific Northwestern themed HOn3 railroad set in 1935-1941.

[@boomerdiorama]

@@Nate-sy1vf Awesome region and period to model in. Congratulations on a great choice and happy modeling to you! Cheers ~ Boomer.😁

[@BradLobregt]

Boomer you ROCK!

[@boomerdiorama]

Awesome!

[@DisVietVetUSA]

Critics, another word for them are the never done it crowd, or I know better or where is you go to school. I crate thing sin my shop and boy you should see the influx of Crics, like a swarm of Locus, the never ending tide of you shoulda woulda have done it this way, that way and everything else way. I try to to keep my comments on topic so as not to fall into the Critical catagory, as I am my own worst critic, you know it as self relfelection, what you see in the mirror is not necessarily you............

[@boomerdiorama]

We all need to evolve our skill set in uniquely different ways . . .